Will someone please help me diaganose a problem with my A7N8X

[Boris the Blade]

First let me lay out my self built system:

AMD 2800+
A7N8X mobo (non deluxe) I was one of the first to by it when it came
out so it's an older model. I am using the latest All-in-one drivers
and the latest 1.07 flashed BIOS.

512 MB Corsair RAM (3200)

350 Watt power supply (second one i've had in the system in a year?
450 watt one went bad on me

ATI AIW 9700 video card

I'm using the built in sound card


Here's the problem I've just started having. At first my system would
not boot. It would go through the BIOS part of the startup and then I
would just get a black screen The system was still running but it
would not go into Windows XP at all. So I reinstalled Windows XP. It
will now boot fine to the OS and all is working fine except for one
MAJOR thing. My AMD 2800+ is showing on the boot up screen as a 1350
mhz system. My memory settings should be 200 mhz on the boot up but
it's saying 100mhz. When I reboot and hit DEL to get into my BIOS it
has all the correct settings! So I hit save changes and exit and then
all I get is a black screen. It will not boot again till I manually
shutdown the system. But when I reboot the boot up is doing the
1350mhz and 100mhz timing thing again. It won't save my settings!

What could it be? I've tried different memory sticks and a different
video card and I still get the same problems!

HELP!

Thanks,

Richard
Savannah, GA

 

[Marty]

First let me lay out my self built system:

AMD 2800+
A7N8X mobo (non deluxe) I was one of the first to by it when it came
out so it's an older model. I am using the latest All-in-one drivers
and the latest 1.07 flashed BIOS.

512 MB Corsair RAM (3200)

350 Watt power supply (second one i've had in the system in a year?
450 watt one went bad on me

ATI AIW 9700 video card

I'm using the built in sound card


Here's the problem I've just started having. At first my system would
not boot. It would go through the BIOS part of the startup and then I
would just get a black screen The system was still running but it
would not go into Windows XP at all. So I reinstalled Windows XP. It
will now boot fine to the OS and all is working fine except for one
MAJOR thing. My AMD 2800+ is showing on the boot up screen as a 1350
mhz system. My memory settings should be 200 mhz on the boot up but
it's saying 100mhz. When I reboot and hit DEL to get into my BIOS it
has all the correct settings! So I hit save changes and exit and then
all I get is a black screen. It will not boot again till I manually
shutdown the system. But when I reboot the boot up is doing the
1350mhz and 100mhz timing thing again. It won't save my settings!

What could it be? I've tried different memory sticks and a different
video card and I still get the same problems!

HELP!

Thanks,

Richard
Savannah, GA

sounds to me as though even when flashed the Motherboard does not support

400 memory, have you tried running the memory at 166 (333DDR) I am not sure
the speed a 2800+ runs at but would guess about 2ghz ie memory set at166 x
CPU multiplier12 =1.92ghz.

 

[Boris the Blade]

Thanks for the response. I've tried that and the same thing happens.
Plus I've ran it at 200 for months with no problems. The problem is
when I get into the BIOS it has the settings the way I want them
already but when I save and close I just get a black screen till I
manually reboot then when it's booting I see that it has the wrong
CPU/Memeory speeds. The cycle NEVER ends.

 

[Ed]

400 memory, have you tried running the memory at 166 (333DDR) I am not sure
the speed a 2800+ runs at but would guess about 2ghz ie memory set at166 x
CPU multiplier12 =1.92ghz.

Athlon XP 2800+ - 2250 (166x13.5)
Barton XP 2800+ - 2083 (166x12.5)

 

[Boris the Blade]

Thanks but isn't this all a moot point anyway because it's not saving
my settings ANYWAY? What could it be? Is the fact that I have my
memory set at 200mhz maybe causing this?

 

[Ed]

Thanks but isn't this all a moot point anyway because it's not saving
my settings ANYWAY? What could it be? Is the fact that I have my
memory set at 200mhz maybe causing this?

Sorry, was basically replying to the other person who wasn't sure about
the clock speeds of the chips.

Is the CMOS clear jumper on the mobo in the correct position?
CMOS Battery good?

Ed

 

[Boris the Blade]

Well I haven't touched any of the jumpers so I would think so. How
exactly do I test me CMOS battery? I just built the PC last December.
Would it be unusual for the CMOS battery to be dead that quickly?

Thanks

 

[Ed]

Well I haven't touched any of the jumpers so I would think so. How
exactly do I test me CMOS battery? I just built the PC last December.
Would it be unusual for the CMOS battery to be dead that quickly?

Thanks

I've never had a battery die that fast. Could check it with a voltage
meter, it should be around 3.3v volts, if less then 3 volts it could be
a problem, just something I would check to rule out any simple stuff
that could have gone wrong.

btw, did the system run OK with older BIOS?
I've been using 1004 on my A7N8X (non-dlx ver 2) since it was released.
Ed

 

[Doug Ramage]

I thought that I read somewhere that some early boards were shipped with
poor CMOS batteries. I changed mine just in case.

 

[Arnie Berger]

I'd guess the battery as well. I've already replaced one in my
A7N8X-Dlx. Strange things happen when it loses the BIOS settings.

ab

 

[6bal]

Thanks but isn't this all a moot point anyway because it's not saving
my settings ANYWAY? What could it be? Is the fact that I have my
memory set at 200mhz maybe causing this?

Sounds like it is failing during post for some reason. Yes your memory
is over clocked at 200.

When it fails it will reboot in a safe speed.
Like someone else said , have you tried 166 ?